Ivii. 1S.

5. To bear Contempt patiently, 2 Cor.

xii. 1o.
11. MOTIVES to be meek and lovely. Con
fider,

1. The Majesty of GOD, 1 Pet. V. 66
2. The Excellency of Humility.

1. GOD dwells with the Humble, tras
2. Accepts of us for it, Pfal. li: 17.
g. It is our Wisdom, Prov. xi. 2.
4. It is the Ornament of the Soul, i Peti
S.

the Mother of all Virtues; 1 Pet.

V. $. 3. The Promises made to it; as, 1. GOD will respect the humble, ifa. lxti, 21

give them Grace, S. Jam. iv. 6. 3.

exalt them, i Pet. V. 6. 4

give them all good Things, Prova 5. There is nothing that we have, that we

can be proud of, but we have cause to be humble for aú Things.

ii. 4.

xxii. 4.

S. MATT. xvi. 24.
Then said Jesus unto his Disciples, if

any Man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his Cross
and follow me.

T

THERE are these three Conditions re

quir'd of those that will be Christ's true and faithful Disciples ; 1. That they be ready to deny themselves.

to take up their Cross. 3.

and to follow Christ in all Things that He hath prefcrib'd to them by His Example or Commands, or does require of them.

2.

I

1. DOCTRINE.
Every true Disciple of Christ must deny himself.
1. What is it to deny ourselves ?
1. Not to indulge ourselves in any thing

that stands in Competition with our
Duty to GOD; nor to grant our-
felves what He denies us; nor allow
ourselves in any known Sin, Psal. xviii.

23. Tho',
1. Never so pleasant.

profitable.
2. To turn from ourselves to GOD, Zach.i.3.

Seipsum sibi homo abneget, & totus mu

tetur. Ambrof. 1. In denying our own Wils, if they in

2.

such as are,

1. Not to do what GOD commands us,

Gal. i. 16.
2. Nor to suffer what He lays upon us,

Luk. xxii. 42. 1 Sam. iii. 18.
2. In denying our Affections, when they are

inconsistent with our Christian Duty;
1. Self-Love. We naturally love ourselves,

but should spiritually love GOD, and

that chiefly and above all Things.
2. Joy: We must deny Joy in ourselves, in

Sin, or any otber Thing but GOD.
3. Hope. We must not fuffer our Hope

. to rest in any but GOD.
4. Desires. Nothing must come in Competi-

tion with GOD in our Desires. “No
Interests or Enjoyments in the World
whatsoever, Psal.Ixxiii

. 25. Phil. iii.8.
1. Not Estate, Prov. iii. 9.
2. Not Credit or Honour, Matt. V. 11:
3. Not Relations, Matt. X. 37.
4. Not Liberty:
5. Not Health,
6. Not Life, Luk. xiv. 26.

7. Much less our Lusts and Corruptions.
2. Why are we to deny ourselves, if we fol-
low Christ?

1. God hath commanded us.
2. Unless we deny ourselves, we shall deny

GOD, Matt. vi. 24.
3. We are not our own, therefore we are not

to act according to our own Wills and
Humours, 1 Cor. vi, 20.

INFERENCES
1. How fem are there in the World, that fol-
low Christ aright, Luk, xii. 32.

K3

2. How

2. How hard a thing is it so to do?

3. Wherefore, endeavour to deny yourselves, by confidering, 1. That Christ denyd Himself for you, Phil.

ii. 6, 7, 8. Hebr. xii. 2, 3. 2. Unless you deny yourselves, Christ will

deny you, Matt. X. 33. 9. It is only by denying yourselves, that

you manifest yourselves to be Christ's

Disciples. 4. Deny yourselves for Christ here, and you

will find yourselves with Christ here

after. Wherefore, manifest your Self-denial.

1. In Leaving your former Sins, tho' never lo delightful, or advantageous to you in the way of the World.

2. Įn Liying above yourselves, not your Eftates, but Şins, not your Conditions, but Corru. prions.

II. DOCTRINE.

Whosoever will be Chrift's Disciple, muß take up His Cross. 1. What are we to understand by Cross? 1. Literally, the Cross of Christ, which con.

sisted of an erect piece of Wood fastn'd into the Ground, with a Transverse going athwart towards the Top of it, and another piece of Wood fastn'd to, and standing out from That which was fix'd in the Ground; ip's érogăr les of saugomishwar. Juftin.

Ubi requiescit qui clavis afigitur. Iren. 2. Metaphorically, a Mictions and Troubles,

which are either

1: laward

V. 8.

1. Inward ; as,
1. Parting with our dearest Corruptions,

S. Matt. xix. 27.
2. Subjection to Christ's Commands,

S. Matt. xi. 29, 30.
3. Temptations from the Devil, i S. Pet.
2. Or outward ; as,

1. Hatred, S. Matt. X. 22..
2. Reproach, 1 Tim. iv. 10. Ifa. liii. 3, 4.
3. Deprivation of temporal Comforts,

2 Cor. vi. 4. and xi. 24, 25, 26, 27.

and xii. 10. 4. Imprisonment, 2 Cor. vi. s. 5. Scourges, Wracks, Tortures, Hebr.xi.37.

6. Death, Luk. xiv. 26. Phil. ii. 8. Now there are two Things that make our Croffes to be the Cross of Christ. 1. That we suffer in the

way

of welldoing. 2. That we suffer for our well-doing in that

way, it is not enough that we be doing well when we suffer, but we must therefore suffer because we are doing well, otherwise our Cross is not Christ's Cross, because not put upon our Shoul

ders for His sake, i Pet. ii. 20. 2. What is it to take up our Cross ? 1. Negatively

1. Not to run ourselves into Sufferings. 2. Nor the meer bearing of Ami&tions,

2 Cor. xi. 33. 2. Positively. To be willing to bear whatsoever is laid upon us for Christ's fake; not to think much to suffer for Him, who thought not much to die for us. An Horfe fuftinet, led non suscipit onus.

And there

are